Hub One - 5GHz WiFi issue

[#1]

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@bobpullen wrote:

@sallonoroff your devices have been updated now. They'll both have rebooted so apologies if you were in the middle of anything.

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Hi @bobpullen, nearly two months now and v.273 has been fine for me. A couple of weird minor glitches now and then but nothing to really grumble at and definitely no more authentication errors on 5GHz, touch wood.

Thanks!

[#2]

@bobpullen 

Been on 280 for a week now and like when I was on 280 before I have not experienced any issues with 280 Firmware. WIFI on 2.4 & 5Ghz is nice and stable. I'm that confident on 280 Firmware that my smart tv is no longer connected by lead and I stream films on Netflix on WIFI. This includes streaming UHD content on Netflix. 

[#3]

@bobpullen
I've just stumbled on this thread
I too have a 5ghz (split from 2.4) that just disappears periodically and fails to accept a password connection for a while when reappearing

It's on .263 from May 19. What's the fix then???

[#4]

@bobpullen do you have an ETA on when the rest of the plusnet community might have this update rolled out?

I will volunteer myself as guinea pig if that will get me in to 280 sooner, as restarting all my 5ghz Nest devices is a big ol' PITA

[#5]

@bobpullen - .273 has been pretty reliable since you updated my router. There have been the odd stutters on 5GHz, but normally the 2.4GHz also suffers problems at the same time and I just put this down to pressure on the infrastructure and my bandwidth due to lockdown.

This morning however 5GHz is barely reaching 3Mbps (making working from home tricky) whilst 2.4GHz is over 25Mbps. If you are around could you check my router to see if you can ascertain anything?

[#6]

@sdav thanks for the info on switching regulators, it's very interesting and shed some lights on a few things I just couldn't get my head around. The hissing sound I heard was quite loud, I could hear it from ca. 2 metres away. This makes me think that this is not just careless design (this kind of noise should never pass through manufacturing QC), but components falling over. The fact that the noise has stopped and the connection problem appeared around the same time (unfortunately I cannot pinpoint the exact dates of either) is a bit coincidental too.

@bobpullen to recap: I had the 5GHz connection troubles, which at the time also made the 2.4GHz drop (I noticed an HD stream buffering, so I'm not sure if it's just throttling or loss of connection). The firmware was updated to 273 on the 21st May and the lease extended to 21 days. It was fine for a day, but then I couldn't connect to the 5GHz again. I left the 5GHz on just to see if it came back but it didn't. Today, I lost internet connection to both the 5GHz and the 2.4GHz, whereas a computer connected to the hub LAN had no problem the whole time: it is really internet/traffic through wifi which is problematic. To fix it, I had to restart the hub, as before firmware update.

A weird fact: even though internet was unavailable, the 2.4GHz signal was physically there (checked wifi analysers) and phones and laptops saw themselves as connected to the wifi, but without internet access. However, when I tried to log in the hub, the webpage could not be accessed at all).

Things are now fine again (with 5GHz switched off for good) but how long for? This is a big problem because both my wife and I are working from home through our laptops and stable wifi is essential (database access, video call with clients and managers, ...)! Is there any hope of fixing this ASAP? This router is not even a year old, I think PN would agree that I should not be forced to spend money on a new router (or provider) when the hardware is still under their responsibility.

[#7]

@bobpullen I have the same issue with my Hub One router which is on the .263 software. Only been with Plusnet a few weeks and this has been an issue a couple of times already. Would you be able to push the update to my router please?

Thanks.

[MagNeto]

@DC1978 @sdav @rkhazelwood @Mattbentley @_tm_13 & @steveg1 - the .273 test firmware has been pushed to your devices. You'll need to power your respective hubs off/back on to apply the update.

@TCart - I cannot see a Hub One associated with your account so you'll need to drop me a private message containing the serial number and the MAC address of your hub.

@PWD wrote:
Since the update we are now having some serious problems with traffic seemingly just disappearing from our downstream so I would like to switch back to our BT Home Hub; please would you stop firmware updates getting pushed to us if that is still happening because our Home Hub 6 renders itself inaccessible when we connect our line to it.  I have to factory reset it to gain access so I think it is somehow pulling down your 5A firmware.

Firmware updates are not being pushed to you and there's no chance the Hub 6 is trying to pull down a firmware from Plusnet. That isn't how things work. A firmware upgrade is initiated by sending a command to the hub instructing it to call home to the management server. Firstly, we have no ability to do this for a hub not in our control. Secondly, even if we could, the Hub would call home to BT's servers and not ours.

@sdav wrote:

I take it hasn't been confirmed that the FW upgrade fixes the issue, as MagNeto posted the issue returned to him/her after the upgrade?

I think there have been over a hundred reports of success so far so MagNeto's case is an interesting one

It is a QCA chipset that's used.

@MagNeto wrote:

@bobpullen, is a hissing sound "normal" for the hub, or could that have been the first sign of a component problem, which has now failed (and the firmware was then not the solution)?

The 'hissing' has been reported by others before and we've reclaimed a good bunch of routers in the past for inspection. Conclusion is that it's a capacitor if my memory serves me correctly and it does seem to be specific to traffic on the 5GHz radio. On inspecting returned devices, no inherent issues have been identified and any noise has been considered to be within tolerance.

I don't think the wider issue being discussed here is indicative a hardware fault, not least because:-

1. There have been too many reports of success from rolling back to a 'last known good' configuration/firmware.

2. We've had 'affected devices' returned to us and been unable to replicate the condition when using them.

Regarding your particular problem on the .273 build, I think we need to get some debugging from your device when it next occurs if you're willing. Feel free to send me a message privately and we'll pick up from there? Alternatively, we can arrange a replacement hub that we can upgrade on arrival to rule out a hardware fault?

@CymonP wrote:

To continue in the same vein...  I had the original problem (failure to connect to 5GHz) a few months ago and was fortunate enough to receive the ...273 update.  All seemed well for a couple of weeks but then the low throughput on 5GHz issue appeared. 

We've started a separate thread for throughput observations, and it's being treated as a separate problem.

@Sheddyian wrote:

Is this a seperate issue - something failing in my hub one?  It's a bit troubling.and annoyingly intermittent!

Sounds like it if it's affecting wired connections too. Probably worth starting a separate thread if it happens again and I can try and look into it separately.

@simoncrnfrth wrote:

@bobpullen 

Been on 280 for a week now and like when I was on 280 before I have not experienced any issues with 280 Firmware. WIFI on 2.4 & 5Ghz is nice and stable. I'm that confident on 280 Firmware that my smart tv is no longer connected by lead and I stream films on Netflix on WIFI. This includes streaming UHD content on Netflix. 

Noted. Do continue to keep an eye on things though and let me know should the situation change. I've relayed your observations to our engineers. Based on my limited understanding of the differences between .280 and .281, I'm struggling to see how one can be affected but not the other - definitely can't rule anything out at this stage though!

@_tm_13 wrote:
@bobpullen do you have an ETA on when the rest of the plusnet community might have this update rolled out?

They won't. You'll not see the .273 firmware in anything other than a reactive capacity at present. It's a retrograde move that reverts certain elements to a 'last known good' state. The ultimate aim is for a 'proper' fix, intended to resolve a number of issues we're tracking. When we get to this, a widespread upgrade will be planned.

@Chris123 wrote:

This morning however 5GHz is barely reaching 3Mbps (making working from home tricky) whilst 2.4GHz is over 25Mbps. If you are around could you check my router to see if you can ascertain anything?

See earlier in this post for a link to the throughput thread.

[#9]

Hi @bobpullen ,

Thank you for your response, pushing update, the information provided and the further insight into the problem. I've restarted my router and it's on the .273 FW indeed.

I'll keep an eye on the situation and if you don't hear from me - no news is good news.

[#10]

@MagNeto Just restarted my router to apply the update PN pushed. I just noticed that I can actually hear the hiss from 3m away indeed, unlike I previously reported. Perhaps this is only a sign that 7:45 is the only time when it is quiet enough to hear it in this house.

[#11]

@bobpullen have turned off/on the plusnet hub and reset the wireless channels and will monitor the situation.
Thank you

[#12]

@bobpullen Would it be possible to have the latest firmware pushed to my router? I'm experiencing similar issues with the 5GHz band and currently on 4.7.5.1.83.8.226 (Last updated 23/10/16).

Many thanks.

[#13]

Thanks for the update. The new version has been received and seems to be working fine. I will keep you up to date if there are any further issues.

Many thanks.
Tom.

[#14]

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@bobpullen

The 'hissing' has been reported by others before and we've reclaimed a good bunch of routers in the past for inspection. Conclusion is that it's a capacitor if my memory serves me correctly and it does seem to be specific to traffic on the 5GHz radio. On inspecting returned devices, no inherent issues have been identified and any noise has been considered to be within tolerance.

I don't think the wider issue being discussed here is indicative a hardware fault, not least because:-

1. There have been too many reports of success from rolling back to a 'last known good' configuration/firmware.

2. We've had 'affected devices' returned to us and been unable to replicate the condition when using them.

Regarding your particular problem on the .273 build, I think we need to get some debugging from your device when it next occurs if you're willing. Feel free to send me a message privately and we'll pick up from there? Alternatively, we can arrange a replacement hub that we can upgrade on arrival to rule out a hardware fault?

@bobpullen many thanks for your detailed response, to all of us. I can see you're trying hard to sort this out.

I'm glad to hear I am not imagining the hissing. The router is in my front room, next to my computer/TV, so whereas I would agree that the level of noise is not too bad a problem when streaming "Fast and Furious 13", it's another matter when the music is not blasting out of the loudspeakers or when you work on the computer in the evening, even a few meters away. I would add that it was also unnerving at first, as this is just the sound of a capacitor blowing off or a hot battery leaking; maybe some warning on the manual would help reassure customers. Also, the acceptable noise threshold should be revised, now a lot of customers are working from home, don't you think? I would think that it's a just a matter of changing the incriminated ceramic capacitor to a good electrolytic one. It's more money for sure, but I'm guessing PN is buying enough of them to pressure the manufacturer a bit.

I'm a bit confused when you say that you have had a lot of success rolling back firmware to the 'last known good': I thought my router was on 263 and you pushed 273 on it. Am I missing a step? Was the beginning of the troubles a newer firmware roll-out?

As much as I'd like to help, I think that our internet connection is too precious at the moment for lengthy debugging. Furthermore, the fact that I do not hear the hissing anymore (which you confirmed is connected to the 5GHZ signal) makes me think there is maybe more to it than a firmware update.

So if you wouldn't mind sending me a new router, I would appreciate it. I could maybe spare an hour for debugging at installation, depending on how it goes and when it is. Just let me know what I could do and I'll see if I can arrange it.

[#15]

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@sdav wrote:

@MagNeto Just restarted my router to apply the update PN pushed. I just noticed that I can actually hear the hiss from 3m away indeed, unlike I previously reported. Perhaps this is only a sign that 7:45 is the only time when it is quiet enough to hear it in this house.

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@sdav 

Thanks for confirming! I also think it's one of these noises which are hard to ignore once you've noticed! What's annoying is that I've spent good money making my computer silent, and now my router is noisier, even without fans!  🙄

The hissing on mine is not back btw, which is suspicious; as @bobpullen mentioned it is probably linked to the 5GHz signal and this is the one which disappeared in my case.